


Everything Has Changed

by bash1018



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts, F/M, Idiots in Love, Mentions of Taylor Swift, POV Hermione Granger, Redeemed Draco Malfoy, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:27:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28701438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bash1018/pseuds/bash1018
Summary: Hermione Granger is back at Hogwarts for her 8th year, without Ron and Harry. She is dealing with severe depression and anxiety following the end of the war. A redeemed Draco Malfoy has offered to help her sort her feelings with occlumency lessons. One day these lessons go wrong and Hermione finds herself trapped in Draco's subconscious, face to face with his emotions, and a memory that he refuses to let her see.*Inspired by Mythicamagic's "Conversing with Emotion"*
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	Everything Has Changed

Hermione boarded the Hogwarts Express for what would be her last year at Hogwarts. She, unlike Ron and Harry, chose to return and complete her final year and submit her NEWTs. She has always valued education and couldn’t bear the thought of being shown favoritism at the Ministry of Magic simply because she was part of the Golden trio (honestly, how ridiculous is that moniker…) and wanted to find a place by her own merits. She made her way down the long hallway, anxiously looking for a friendly face to make the journey to Scotland with. 

“Hermione!” a voice called from a compartment several feet down the hallway. 

She turned sharply, looking for the source of the voice. She spotted Neville peeking from a compartment several feet away and ran to him, flinging herself into his arms.

“Oh, Neville! Hello! It’s such a relief to find you. I was so nervous about finding someone to sit with, normally I’d be with Harry and Ron but they withdrew from Hogwarts a couple months ago.” she gushed. Neville smiled down at her and nodded sympathetically. He had really become quite fit over his 7th year, and handsome as well. Hermione shook her head internally. 'We are NOT attracted to Neville, out of all people. He is too dear of a friend.'

“I figured you’d be sitting alone so we’ve been looking for you. Come in, Luna, Dean, and Seamus are sitting with me as well.” He spoke. Neville stepped out of the compartment to take her luggage and to allow her inside. 

“HERMIONE!” they all exclaimed in unison while she winced slightly at the sudden volume increase. She quickly hugged them all while Neville tucked her suitcases away and sat down between herself and Luna. 

“How have you all been? Luna, how is the quibbler doing? Dean, Seamus, did you enjoy your summer?” she inquired.

Luna spoke up first, saying in her dreamy, far away tone “The quibbler is doing quite alright. Dear dad has been keeping himself busy studying Nargle mating patterns. I think he’s dealing with his trauma by keeping busy, if you ask me.” Hermione’s eyes widened. Luna tended to be very blunt and honest, something Hermione still had not gotten used to over the course of their friendship.

“Ah…well I hope he recovers soon. Now that the war is over, we should all start living our lives as normally as possible.” Neville nodded enthusiastically and began telling them about his internship with Professor Sprout this year. Hermione began to daze off while her friends chatted happily about their last year. 

'Live our lives normally… how could anything be normal again.' she thought. Although she put on a brave face for her friends, the war had torn her apart. It took a piece of her soul, her innocence, her optimistic outlook on life. She had seen things no one her age should have to. She was forced to obliviate her family and the damage had been irreparable, and while she had a family in Ron and Harry and the rest of the Weasleys, she no longer had her parents. Glancing down at her arm, she smiled bitterly. Even if she could somehow make peace with all that had transpired during the war, she’d always be reminded of it every time she looked at the marred skin on her arm. “Mudblood.” Bellatrix’s gift to her, etched crudely into her body. She’d been to St. Mungo’s several times and consulted with many doctors who all told her the same thing: the scar would never heal, and no magic could fix it. Bellatrix had used a cursed blade and the curse could not be lifted. She sighed and looked out the compartment door where she saw Draco Malfoy staring at her before darting his eyes elsewhere. Perhaps he was also daydreaming as well.

-  
-  
-

“HUFFLEPUFF!” bellowed the Sorting Hat. Cheers and applause could be heard from the badger’s table. Hermione smiled as the sorting went on, while trying to ignore how noticeably smaller the incoming class of first years were. She shuddered as she thought of the reason why- maybe many of them did not survive the war. So many lives were lost, many destroyed. 

“’Hermione, are you alright?” 

“Huh? Oh, yes. Thank you for asking Dean.” She turned and smiled sweetly at him while trying to hide the thoughts that ran wild in her mind. Professor- no wait, Headmistress McGonagall approached the headmaster’s podium and prepared to give her beginning of the new year speech. 

“The sorting has finished! Everyone, please, silence.” She looked on sternly as she waited for the talking and laughter to die down. 

“The beginning of each school year is always met with joy. First years look on in wonderment of the school that they will call home for the next 7 years, fifth years await to take their OWLs, and seventh years are eager to finish their schooling and continue onto the next phase in life. Yes, every year at Hogwarts will bring new challenges, adventures, and lessons that will follow you the rest of your lives. However, this year is different. The war has cast a dark shadow on the school, and reparations are still being made. Many of you have lost friends, classmates, and family. Some of you that come to us from muggle society have no idea what war occurred, and for that I am relieved. Almost 4 years ago, the dark wizard who went by the name “Voldemort” declared war on the wizarding world. He was evil incarnate, a selfish and cruel being. I am not even sure he could be categorized as human in the end. He drowned our world in darkness and fear. That time is over. Thanks to the many heroes that served in the war we can begin to heal and move on. Two of our most notable heroes are here in this very room, serving their last year with us before going on to greater things. Miss Hermione Granger and Mister Neville Longbottom, please stand.” 

Hermione blanched. If there was anything she hated, it was outrageous displays of praise and worship. Neville stood and grabbed her by the hand to pull her upwards. She looked around the room as it erupted in applause. Her classmates smiled and cheered, the first years looked at them in awe, and her professors applauded with expressions of pride. She felt sick, truly, disgustingly sick. What were they celebrating? Victory? What victory? She had lost friends. She lost family. There are no winners in war, only death. 

“Thank you.” She murmured quietly. Neville beamed at the attention; the applause seemed to drag on forever. 

“Let the feast commence!” shouted the headmistress, clapping her hands together. 

Food appeared all across the tables. Hermione heard the first years gasp in delight. She reached for a bowl of roasted potatoes and salad, not quite hungry anymore. 'Just eat a few bites and be on your way.' She thought to herself. She took a bite of potato and chewed. It felt like cardboard in her mouth. She wanted nothing more than to go to bed and take a vial of dreamless sleep. She observed the room as she swallowed, her eyes scanning the Slytherin table. Malfoy was sat next to Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott, his fellow friends and Slytherins. Oddly, Malfoy looked even more miserable than he felt. She mused that he must be saddened by his father’s imprisonment in Azkaban following the death of Voldemort. 

The Malfoys were saved by Narcissa’s and Draco’s actions alone. While Harry had testified for the Malfoy matriarch and the lie she told regarding his fake death that had ultimately caused Voldemort’s downfall, she testified for the Malfoy heir. Draco had lied when the snatchers brought the trio to the Manor and refused to identify them. She winced as she thought of what had transpired, and what they were all made to endure. She’d taken a strong calming draught brewed by Professor Slughorn himself before entering the Wizengamot for Draco’s trial. She began to recall the moment she was questioned by Kingsley in court, her memories in a pensieve for all to see. 

*flashback*  
“Miss Granger, can you please describe the moment when Mister Malfoy was asked to identify yourself, Mister Potter, and Mister Weasley.” Inquired Kingsley, the newly appointed Minster for Magic. 

“Um, yes, of course.” She cleared her throat and began her testimony. “Malfoy was asked by his aunt Bellatrix and his father Lucius to identify us for Voldemort. Lucius was insistent he make sure it was us, as he believed his position within the Death Eaters could be redeemed. Shortly before being captured I threw a stinging jinx at Harry to make him harder to identify. Ronald and I simply lied about our names, but we were found out almost immediately. Malfoy refused to identify us, and blatantly lied to his father. I believe he did not wish for Voldemort to capture and kill us. I believe that he wanted to help us however he could.” She said, sure of her response. 

She looked over at Draco in his cage that was placed in the middle of the courtroom. He was thin, and in dirty rags. He still looked regal, and prideful. She could almost laugh at how haughty his expression was in a room full of people who were calling for his head on a pike. His eyes met hers and they softened. Maybe he was grateful, she couldn’t be sure. 

“How do you know he wanted to help you? Is it possible that Mister Malfoy truly did not recognize you? Perhaps your appearances were altered in some way that made it difficult for him to say with certainty who you were.” Kingsley pressed on. 

Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes before answering. “Absolutely not. We have been classmates for years, not to mention the rivalry that only grew between Malfoy, Harry, and Ron. I even punched him in the face once in our third year. While we were never friends, we also were not strangers. Malfoy knew who we were, and despite the obvious disdain he had shown us over the course of 6 years, he still did not identify us. Given the chance to hurt your enemy, do you think you’d save them instead? Would you save your enemy, knowing that the outcome could be your death? Answer me that, Minister.” 

Kingsley narrowed his eyes at her, contemplating her words in silence. After a minute he began to speak again. “Do you believe Mister Malfoy worthy of a second chance? Do you believe he is capable of redemption?”

She looked over at Draco, his expression so intent as he looked into her eyes, his hands holding the bars of his cage so tightly it looked as if he could have bent them. 

“I do believe he is worthy of a second chance, and I fully believe he can be redeemed. I owe him my life, Minister. Without him, Harry may have never had the chance to defeat Voldemort. Without him, I would be one of Bellatrix’s many victims, just another muggle-born on her list. If anyone is worthy of a chance to prove himself, it is Draco Malfoy.”

*end of flashback*

Hermione snapped out of her thoughts and looked around her to make sure no one paid her any attention. Sighing with relief that no one seemed to care, she began to get up from the table and exit the great hall. She never did notice the pair of slate grey eyes that followed her form from the Gryffindor table and out the doors.


End file.
